Westgal

I'm a 55 year old woman who has spent most of my life trying to control my eating. Even when I'm gradually gaining weight, it's while struggling to hold my consumption down. My biggest problem is what I eat in the evenings - I often eat modestly during the day, then when I'm alone in the evening, especially when watching a movie, I seem to shut off my controls and soon I'm looking in the kitchen for "something I can eat." Like any addict, I rationalize about my eating - "I'm only 3 points over," or "I'll follow this up with some Smooth Move or drink a high-fiber protein shake," in the hopes the food will all pass through me without too much being absorbed. The worst thing I ever did was a Master Cleanse, after 7 days of which I started passing little white flecks, which I later learned were part of my intestines and a symptom of cholera.

My all-time high was 210, and in the past year or two I've stayed between 160 and 170. I'm often conflicted about weight loss. I hate being obsessed about losing weight as much as I hate being obsessed about food, whether it's eating or restraining my eating.

I'd love to just be normal. Eat when I'm hungry until I am fed, then put the rest of the food away until I'm hungry again.

I've chosen Weight Watchers since I have been a member on and off for years and can calculate the points in just about any food in my head now, though my real goal is to be able to put eating in a different perspective - something I do for pleasure and sustenance, rather than something I do to fill an emotional void.

Westgal's Latest Posts

Weight Palteau
One thing to remember is that it is very important to learn how to maintain a weight, so try viewing this plateau as a good thing --you are neither gaining nor losing weight, and that is the state you will need to achieve for the rest of your life. So while you may wish to lose more weight, don't push it so hard that you attempt an unreasonable timeline and set yourself up for failure. You want to keep this off once and for all, and the only way to do that is to establish new habits, and even if you slip up now and then, you return to those habits.

I have been at this for more than three years, and still toy with a frustrating ten more pounds to lose, but I look and feel better than I ever have, and I'm 61. I am on the perennial plateau -- going long stretches without losing anything, but then once in a while stepping on the scale to see I've lost another pound.

My favorite thing to do when eating out, especially when traveling, is to do an Internet search for best Vietnamese Restaurant. You can always find a lovely clear broth soup with a great plate of fresh cilantro, basil and bean sprouts to toss on top. Though you can still go overboard on the noodles, it's low in fat, made with many fresh ingredients, and a nice comfort food.

It's also a great habit to form, since changing your eating habits is one of the most important things you can do outside of exercise to maintain a healthier physique.

posted 20 Jun 2011, 08:34

Low Metabolism?!!??!
You don't say what kind or how much exercise you are doing, and studies have shown that we tend to over-state how much exercise we get. If you are doing aerobics in an hour-long class three or four times a week and are doing an hour or two of weight training twice a week, you should be able to eat 1400 calories a day and still lose weight. You should never eat less than 1100 calories a day - you are telling your body to shut down all but essential functions, slow down its metabolism and store fat.

You also don't say where you are in relation to your ideal body weight. Don't expect to lose weight if you are already below that.

posted 23 Apr 2009, 15:45

Is it just me?
Is it just me or does Weight Watchers actually have nothing to gain by people keeping weight off? Like so many of you who are using WW, I've been there before on several occasions, lose ten or 20 pounds, and then it's just a matter of time before I flashing my credit card again. Luckily, the small town I'm in can't get enough members to make a class (they insist on no less than 20), so I'm spared this time.

What people with food issues really need is a place where they can get alternatives to food for comfort in times of emotional stress, loneliness or need. And supporters who aren't all about what you're going to eat today or how you're going to avoid eating. Thin people don't have food in the front of their minds all the time.

Anyone found a lifestyle changing support group that isn't obsessed with food?

posted 09 Apr 2009, 13:17

Constipation - a couple of ways to deal with it
I used to always suffer from constipation every time I went on a trip - something about interrupting my routine and missing a bowel movement, then eating unfamiliar foods, which are also part of going on a trip.

Now I always bring along a couple of "Smooth Move" teabags (I think Traditional Medicinals is the brand name), and one cup of that at bedtime assures results in the morning. Be warned that it is a laxative (senna is the active ingredient) and should be used sparingly.

For everyday bowel health, I add psyllium husk (I use Trader Joe's "Secrets of Psyllium&quot to your protein shake or smoothie. It's basically fiber - somewhere around 10 grams per 2 TBSP - not only will it make that smoothie more satisfying it will also help keep things moving.

None of this is a substitute for a regular diet of vegetables - but if any of us here were able to do that, we'd have no weight problems to begin with.